Wednesday, September 2, 2015

The Search for Natural Deodorant

Several months ago, I decided I was going to ditch my favorite deodorant in favor of a more natural one. I've gradually been making the switch with almost all of the body products I use. With rumors flying whether aluminum-based compounds and
parabens could cause breast cancer, I figured better safe than sorry. At the time, I didn't realize how extensive my search was going to become. I want to share my findings with you, in case you find yourself on a similar hunt!

So you know, I'm not a big sweat-er. My mom has gone without deodorant for decades, and she doesn't sweat or smell at all, but I am not quite so lucky. I definitely need to wear deodorant in order to smell good. I don't sweat unless I'm exercising or public speaking. ;)

First of all, Ban "Sweet Simplicity" is the deodorant & anti-perspirant that I wore for years. Honestly, I miss it a little bit. I never had to worry about smelling. It has an amazing fresh scent that I loved. But on the ingredients list, it has all kinds of junk that I can't pronounce. I know that my eyelids (of all things) developed an allergy to the aluminum in eyeshadows. So perhaps someday my underarms would become irritated by it as well? Either way, I'm better off without it.

I started searching for natural deodorants in Walmart and Target and CVS, and I was barely finding anything without the label "anti-perspirant" or aluminum as the active ingredient. Tom's of Maine was the best brand I could find. I had actually tried the "Unscented" Tom's a few years ago, but after a walk around the block, I could tell it was completely ineffective. This time, I gave the "Refreshing Lemongrass" a try. The 24-hour protection claim was untrue. I did not like it at all. I will keep buying Tom's of Maine toothpaste for my kids, but I don't recommend their deodorant.

I took my search to the internet. I have purchased Jason brand face and body lotions, and I really love them, so I figured I would try their deodorant. The Tea Tree version did not win me over. I don't really think it smells like tea tree oil at all. I kept saying to Steve that I smelled like an old lady wearing too much bad perfume. Maybe their other scents are better, but I still don't think it worked to combat odor.

At this point, I realized that buying just any natural deodorant wasn't going to work. I needed to do my research. I read tons of blogs and magazine articles on the topic. One brand that was consistently on the "Honor Roll" of deodorants was Lavanila's "The Healthy Deodorant". I bought the stick from Amazon in the "Vanilla Grapefruit" scent. It smells wonderful, and it works! There are no petrochemicals, aluminums, phthalates, proplyene glycol, mineral oils, silicone, synthetic dyes, sulfates or parabens. I do find that I need to reapply later on in the day. If I am going out to a social event, I stick it in my purse in case I need to freshen up.

Lastly, the reviews online are SO positive for "Schmidt's" natural deodorant. At first I was nervous to buy it, since it's a paste and not a stick. You take a dab out of the jar, warm it up in between your fingers or palms, and apply it with your hands. It wasn't as weird as I thought it would be! I bought the "Bergamot + Lime" scent from Amazon, and it's a perfect citrusy scent. I don't need to reapply as often as I do with the Lavanila, but certainly once a day. I am really impressed with the ingredients: shea butter, baking soda, arrowroot powder, cocoa seed butter, bergamot essential oil (like orange), lime essential oil, vitamin E, and hop extract. In addition to odor protection, it claims that it absorbs wetness as well, although I can't speak on this because I don't sweat much in general.

I am so happy to have found a couple of products that work for me! If I were to try an additional product, I have read great reviews for "Soapwalla" and "Meow Meow Tweet Tweet". Both are creams like the Schmidt's.

I hope these reviews are helpful to you, or at least send you on the right track!

Have you tried natural deodorant before? Are there any brands that you would recommend?

See you tomorrow for Astleigh and my Every Girl Link-Up! We are sharing our fall decor!

17 comments:

I have been making the switch to natural deodorant this summer as well! (Maybe this would have been a better project for the winter, now that I think about it - lol!) I have been using the lavendar deodorant from Green Beaver and I quite like it. I do need to put baby powder over it as it's pretty wet and sticky, but then I'm good for the day!http://greenbeaver.com/product/lavender-deodorant-stick/

You seriously don't sweat? Wow! If I just look at the sun or something hot I break into a sweat. lol! Funny that I am typically freezing all the time. Thanks for the info on these though. I may have to check a few of those out in the future.

I just recently did the whole research / switch thing too!! After trying a bunch (most that you mentioned here), I finally found one and fell in love. It's called Primal Pit Paste (http://primalpitpaste.com/) and it's so amazing. From the ingredients to the smell, I finally found the perfect fit for me. They also have toothpaste that's awesome too.

I am actually interested in your comment that you became sensitive to the aluminum in eyeshadow. A few years ago I started getting itchy, extremely swollen eyelids whenever I wore eyeshadow. (I was not wearing make up often during my last pregnancy.) I never knew what ingredient caused the problem but I gave up eyeshadow and haven't suffered since. I'd like to wear it, though, if I found one I could tolerate. Do you have any brand recommendations?

Yes! That's exactly what happened to me. I developed the allergy soon after my first pregnancy. I tried a few brands and compared their ingredients, and the ones I reacted to included aluminum. (I also have reacted to face lotions with sunscreen that contain aluminum.) The eyeshadow that I have been wearing for a couple of years is "Bare Minerals", and I love it! If you try it, let me know if it works for you! :)

Fyi rachel, bergamot increases your photosensitivity, which shouldn't be an issue in your armpits, but is good to remember in swimsuit season and be sure to wash your hands well after application :) Thanks for all the tips!

I'm so glad you posted this! I am not a "sweater" either, but I like to wear deodorant in the summer to help feel fresh! I am currently using Dove, and will definitely try a natural version when I run out!